MUGS Book
Reviews 
 Click on the image above for a preview of this book Reviewed by:Heidi R.
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iPad 2, Portable Genius
Published: April 2011 Publisher: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Print ISBN: 978-1-118-00412-8 Format: Paperback, 315 pages, 14 chapters Author: Paul McFedries When it is inconvenient to visit the Genius Bar at an Apple store, a portable genius in the form of this book is the next best thing. A table of contents, a comprehensive index and a glossary make the book easy to navigate. The book takes the iPad user out of Kindergarten and leads him/her on to higher levels of understanding and productivity. The first chapter deals with connecting one’s iPad to (and disconnecting it from) a wireless network. For those with a 3G-enabled iPad, directions are given to manage that, too. An explanation of both manually and automatically syncing your iPad with your computer follows. Personalizing and customizing your iPad are explained, as are web browsing and email. A large section of the book discusses photos, taking them, sharing them, emailing them and playing with them as well as creating slidehows. One of the nice features of the iPad is being able to collect an eBook library. From simply getting the iBook app and downloading and managing your iBooks library to adding PDF attachments and finding books other than iBooks, chapter 7 explains it all. Getting and listening to music, setting up playlists, and finding out about and using various accessories are covered thoroughly. The iPad is not just for watching videos, it can also be used to record and edit them. The Portable Genius shows you how. The front and back cameras on the iPad2 allow two people with iPads and wi-fi connections to see and speak to one another using the FaceTime feature. Don’t know how? The Portable Genius walks you through it. Long distance phone calls may become obsolete! After describing the use of the Contacts app, the book explains how to customize your contact list by adding fields and notes. Instead of adding a contact’s information by hand, which can be tedious, if the contact sends his data by email, it can be entered with just a few taps. The calendar on your iPad shows days, weeks, months or years. As in other chapters, the one on Calendar begins with the basics and then adds a “Getting More Out of …” section. If you need to find a location, the Maps feature can show you exactly where to go. It can even give you traffic information. The location can be saved in various ways. For people who have a tendency to lose their possessions, a “Find my iPhone” feature can locate a missing iPad. Although it refers to an iPhone, it also works for an iPad. Downloading apps is a major bonus for the iPad. A whole chapter discusses where to find them, how to download, sync, and update them. There are thousands of apps availble. This book tells how to find the ones you want more easily. The final chapter of the book discusses what to do when your iPad does not perform as it should. It is almost inevitable that eventually something will go wrong. It may be something as simple as a battery that has run down. The Portable Genius gives you tips for extending the life of your battery as well as solving other more serious problems. A glossary for those of us not up on the latest tech terms, is found at the end of the book. This book might very well save you hours of frustration and a trip through the traffic jumble around the Polo Park Mall Apple Store. Reviewed by: Heidi R. December, 2011 |
 Click on the image above for a preview of this book Reviewed by:Heidi R.
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Teach Yourself Visually: iPad 2, The
Fast and Easy Way to Learn
Published: July 2011 Publisher: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Print ISBN: 978-1-118-05415-4 Format: Paperback, 274 pages, 11 chapters Author: Lonzell Watson As a new and tentative iPad user, I found this book to be most helpful. It is written for the reader who has never used this particular technology or software application but may also be useful for those who know the basics and want to expand their knowledge. The 274 page book has 11 colour-coded chapters. Numbered steps guide the reader through required actions. Simple, clear, colourful illustrations show what will happen on your iPad screen, when certain actions are performed. The reader is told what to do, shown in an illustration where to do it, told what will happen when the action is completed and shown a picture of the result. Chapter 1 begins with the look of the iPad when you take it out of the box and start it up. The following chapters teach the user how to configure the iPad, use the internet, connect to wi-fi, activate 3G service, and manage email. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 explore syncing the iPad to various items on your computer, using iTunes, playing videos, movies and TV shows, and using the camera on the iPad to take pictures, shoot videos and create slideshows. YouTube and iBooks are also explained. An address book and calendar are important in managing one’s contacts and appointments. This book carefully guides the reader through the steps of creating a new contact, editing an existing contact and creating contact groups. Adding appointments to the calendar, editing the events and setting an alert for an event are covered. The final chapters illustrate different ways the iPad can simplify one’s life. By enlarging the screen, displaying closed captioning or using VoiceOver, those with vision or hearing problems need not forgo using the iPad. Never again get lost or fight those confusing folded paper maps! The Maps feature on the iPad can pinpoint your location or guide you through a trip. Some interesting and useful apps are described in chapter 9. For those not familiar with the idea of downloading apps, as well as moving apps from your computer to your iPad, step by step, illustrated instructions are given here, too. The book has suggestions for accessorizing the iPad. Again, each accessory is illustrated. A description of what each accessory will do and how it might be useful is included. The last chapter tells how to maintain and troubleshoot the iPad. The author explains the importance of updating the iPad’s software and shows how to extend battery life. The only negative I would say about the book is that it was published a few months before iCloud became available. MobileMe is given a section in the book but iCloud is missing. Many video tutorials are available on line and watching and learning from the video tutorials is useful. Some people still like to learn from a book which they can hold and re-read at their leisure. If you are one of these, this book is for you. I would use it in conjunction with the videos. Reviewed by: Heidi R. December, 2011 |
 Reviewed by:Don R.
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My New iPad 2, A User's Guide
Published: May 2011 Publisher: No Starch Press, O'Reilly Media Print ISBN: 978-1-59327-386-6 | ISBN 10:1-59327-386-X Ebook ISBN: 978-1-59327-394-1 | ISBN 10:1-59327-394-0 Format: Paperback, 280 pages, 30 Chapters, Also available in ebook, Safari Books Online Author: Wallace Wang When I decided to buy my iPad the motivation mostly was was to use it to read eBooks. I belong to a book club where we read some classics and some current books. The bill for buying all the books can be quite considerable. Playing with my new iPad quickly demonstrated that I might need some help to utilize all its capabilities. It is not as intuitive as my Apple Classic used to be. Of course that was 20 years ago and now I am 20 years older but no wiser. Then I heard about “My New iPad 2” by Wallace Wang. The first 14 chapters detailed instructions for use of the Home screen and internet use. These are quite useful and easy to follow. They neglect to mention that use of the iPad when not at a desk involves a tricky balancing act on ones knees. I found that a substantial pillow on the knees made the operation much easier. Reading e-mails took a bit of getting used to, mostly because the method of trashing them involves several maneuvers instead of a single click. Later I discovered that Lion had adopted the same format. Finding a long list of free e-books was a pleasant surprise. Turning pages or finding pages was relatively easy, and the instructions for placing bookmarks was useful, however there were no instructions for using a dictionary or thesaurus for the difficult or obsolete words found in the old classics. I found it difficult to make notes along the way and there was nothing said about this in the book. Many current titles are found in iTunes and it will keep me busy for years. Learning to use Skype was a rewarding exercise, as I toured the garden to show plants in flower to my daughter in another city, something that could not easily be done with a desktop. Reading the manual as a once-over was rewarding but I am looking forward to go back and discover more uses for the iPad. The manual made the introduction much easier and will be a good reference in the future. Reviewed by: Don R. August, 2011 |
Taking Your iPod Touch to the Max Published: Nov. 2010 Publisher: Apress ISBN13: 978-1-4302-3258-2 ISBN10: 1-4302-3258-7 Format: Paperback, 416 pages, 15 Chapters. (Also available in eBook format) Authors: Erica Sadun, Michael Grothaus With a title such as this book does ("...To the Max") and being released at about the same time as the book reviewed below, one would expect to find a substantial amount of content that goes well beyond the "...Made Simple" release. Especally when both this book and the one below are by the same publisher. However, in spite of a retail selling price that is the same as the "Made Simple" title ($24.95 USD), this book has fewer pages by 1/3 and covers essentally the same topics... often in less detail. One of the few exceptions is the explanation of the "Voice Over" feature of the iPod Touch, which enables it to read passages and announce screen content (ie: speak the names of buttons touched on active screens) - a valuable tool for visually impared users. The illustrations contained in this publication are for the most part clear and easy to interpret, though (like the title below) all are in black and white, not color. In all, this is a well written book which does provide the reader with a clear understanding of the vast array of features contained in the iPod Touch. And perhaps if you are looking for a slightly more compact format, then this is the book for you. Reviewed by Tom C. December, 2010. |
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iPod Touch Made Simple
Published: Nov. 2010 Publisher: Apress ISBN13: 978-1-4302-3195-0 ISBN10: 1-4302-3195-5 Format: Paperback, 686 pages, 29 Chapters. (Also available in eBook format) Authors: Martin Trautschold Gary Mazo Having owned an iPod Touch for several years, I thought perhaps this book might be of more value to someone new to the iPod Touch. How much could it offer to an experienced user I wondered? As it turns out, it offers a lot to both the new user and to someone who has used one for some time. Trautschold and Mazo have created an excellent resource with considerable depth (686 pages), which contains a wealth of information which is clearly presented and is complimented by ample illustrations. For the new user, Part I of the book consists of a "Quick Start Guide" which tells about the iPod controls, touch screen and several tables of popular apps (applications) under the headings of: "Staying Connected and Organized", "Being Entertained", "Staying Informed", "Networking Socially", and "Being Productive". Part II, "Introduction" tells in a few pages how to get the most out of the book. Part III, the next 500 plus pages contains a vast amount of information about pretty much everything there is to know about the iPod Touch. Part IV, about 50 pages, covers iTunes, where you download and organize all the content on your iPod. I generally don't read a book like this cover-to-cover, but rather use it as a reference to look up specific information. However, in this case, the authors have done such a good job of covering both the basics and more in-depth knowledge, that I found myself devourning the entire book front to back! Plus there are countless "Tips" throughout the book that add understanding and/or effeciency. If you are an experienced iPod Touch user, you will undoubtedly find the information on Multitasking, voice control, video messaging and recording and editing videos to be enlightening. And I dare say that in every chapter you will find yourself saying: "I didn't know that!" There are illustrations aplenty throughout the book. While all the illustrations lack colour, that does not detract from their clarity. I highly recommend this book for everyone with an iPod Touch... or for anyone thinking of buying one. And don't miss the "Day in the Life of an iPod touch User" found on the inside of the front and back cover. Reviewed by Tom C. December, 2010. |
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My New iPad A User Guide
Published: June 2010 Publisher: No Starch Press ISBN: 978-1-59327-275-3 Format: 386 pages, 39 chapters, paperback, Otabind (lies flat when opened) Author: Wallace Wang This book is thoroughly written for a new iPad user in language we can understand. So many user guides use too much techno jargon which loses a beginner after two words. It also helps to be using an iMac. I have read it from cover to cover, trying all the tapping, pinching and touching techniques described by the author and it works. As a person who knew very little about using an IPad, I found his instructions very clear and down to my level. The Contents in Detail is a life saver for a person who has a tendency to forget. Plus the book has many illustrations and a good index. I would give this book a 10 out of 10. For me, this book will always be in the same case as my IPad. Reviewed by Loreen D. October, 2010. |
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Head First Web Design A Brain-Friendly Guide
Published: Dec. 2008 Publisher: O'Reilly Media ISBN 978-0-596-80427-5 Format: 496 pages, paperback Authors: Ethan Watrall, Jeff Siarto It is some time ago now, when I volunteered to do a book review on web design for O'Reilly Publishers on behalf of the Mugs members, I was only to pleased to accept the invitation. However, when I opened the the introductory page of this text of more than 450 pages, I read the caution: "Who is this book for and more importantly, who should probably back away from this book? It asked " Are you someone who doesn't have any experience with HTML,/X.HTML and CSS?”. Well I had some experience, but it did not amount to much. It then went on to say, if this is the case, don't worry, go pickup "Head First" - HTML with CSS and XHTML by Elizabeth Freeman and Eric Freeman (also published by O"Reilly) and then come back to this book. So I went out and purchased that text and studied with it. That took some time, but I did it. Those of us who are involved in web design will find these books very valuable. They are not reference books, but are about self learning. The exercises and lessons in the chapters of the book are supported by the related free downloads from O'Reilly's website. They assist In the construction and the testing of the various webpages that one constructs. It is truly a pleasure to use large pieces of paper on which one pencils the answers that are required by doing the exercises. It really is great fun to do. One is instructed not to skip any parts off the texts, especially not the exercises and not to proceed without first having completed and checked the results of one’s labor. The webpages that one "creates" are immediately visible by opening them in one or more web browsers that one has on one's own computer . This gives an immediate sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in that one can see how successful or unsuccessful the coding has been. I found this book very useful indeed. It is a refreshing change from reading manuals that somehow never seem to quite deal with the problems that we try to solve. The text is based on the "hands on" teaching methodology, very much a necessity for us older folk who, as we all know, learn more by doing than by reading or listening, It is especially recommended to those members of Mugs,who will have the time to really get down to the basics with which websites are created. I must agree however with the publisher that one should either buy, or better, first go to the library and borrow "Head first" HTML X. HTML and CSS first. These two texts have my unreserved recommendation. They are not easy (to me), but are as easy and pleasurable as learning code can be. The Web Design book sells for $49.99 Canadian and is available either from O'Reilly’s Website (at a discount to our members) or at our local bookstores. Reviewed by Peter M. October, 2010. |
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Best iPhone Apps The Guide for Discriminating Downloaders
Published: 2009 Publisher: O'REILLY ISBN 978-0-596-80427-5 Format: 230 pages, paperback Author: Josh Clark This little book, which sells for $25 Canadian, holds quite a large collection of apps that can be downloaded from the iTunes Store for your iPhone. It is very useful, especially for new owners of the Iphone, who can use this book in order to be able to select a number of the best programs available at the time of the publication in 2009. It is a pleasure to browse through the 228 pages and be amazed to find out the many good apps that are increasingly available for your iPhone . As we are told there are more than 90,000 apps available for the iPhone. Some of these are free and most of them are quite reasonable, varying in price from 99 cents to a few dollars. Tens of thousands programs! Far too many for us mortals to choose from. Where would we start? The author has made a valuable contribution to select the best from them. They are categorized in sections such as “At Work”, “On the town”. “At Leisure” “For your Health” etc. This is very helpful indeed. Apple, through its iTunes’ newsletters and the magazine Macworld, also regularly tells us which updates are available and which programs are recommended. These sites are regularly updated, something only an annual new edition of this publication could hope to achieve and even then only to a limited extent. The author comprised a good little book, well worth the price. It would be a wonderful present to give somebody was just purchased an iPhone or, yes, treat ourselves! Reviewed by Peter M. August, 2010. |
 Want to see a preview of this book? Click the image above. Reviewed by:Gordon S.
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The Digital Photography Companion Published: 2009 Publisher: O'REILLY ISBN-Print ISBN: 978-0-596-51766-3 ISBN 10: 0-596-51766-1 Ebook ISBN: 978-0-596-55829-1 ISBN 10: 0-596-55829-5 Format: 232 pages Author: Derrick Story Date of review: 2009-11-20 I had the good fortune to watch Derrick Storey’s podcast on improving picture-taking skills and was really looking forward to this book, part of which was the basis for the show. Derrick is the co-author of ‘iPhoto - the missing manual’ so those of you who like his writing style will find this book easy to read. This book is aimed at both beginner and intermediate photographers. In Chapter 1 he discusses the features of point & shoot and DSLR cameras to help you decide which format you would find most useful. He then explains what all those features mean. He suggests that you have your camera (and its manual) available so you can see where all the buttons and features are on your camera. In Chapter 2, you will learn how these features and buttons are used. Again use your own camera to try the techniques and see the results. I found this method helped me learn my way around my camera much faster. And this is where the digital camera format really shines; you don’t waste any film! At the end of this chapter you will have learned the lingo, know where features are on your camera and what the features are used for. Example, you use the aperture to control depth of field (or what is and isn’t in focus) and ISO settings which allow you to take pictures when the light is low. You are ready to start taking better pictures. Chapter 3 was my favorite. You are taken through ‘real life’ scenarios like shooting weddings, getting good shots of kids, landscapes and more. This is followed by advice on how to deal with special situations like sports, fireworks and low light shots and which features to use to solve problems. Here you will be introduced to some basic ‘rules’ which will make your pictures more engaging and interesting. One hint which I found useful was to get closer; after taking a picture, move in closer, then move in even closer. The closer you get, the more impact the photo will have. There are dozens of hints like this. In Chapter 4, you will learn how to send your images to the world through the Internet, make slide shows and manage your images so you can find them using applications like iPhoto, Photoshop Elements and Aperture among others. For you budding Ken Burns wanna bes how about making a movie of your photos using QuckTime Pro? He introduces several ‘advanced’ techniques to tempt you to expand your toolbox and progress to a higher level of proficiency. In Chapter 5 various approaches to printing your pictures are discussed. You will see the different approaches to display your images on hard copy and learn how to buy a printer to produce prints yourself if this is the route you wish to follow. The appendix contain several tables which provide quick reference for camera settings for a variety of situations. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get into digital photography or anyone who has just begun and wants to improve their knowledge of their camera and improve their technique. Advanced folks will find little new here. Available from Chapters $27.50, $18.15 online. Amazon Canada price $15.74. Reviewed by Gordon S. November, 2009. |
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My New Mac (Snow Leopard Edition) Published: 2009 Publisher: No Starch Press ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-164-0 Format: Paperback, 481 pages Author: Wallace Wang Date of review: 2009-11-20 This is an excellent book for the novice to intermediate Mac user. Everything in it is written for to help the novice become proficient at using his or her Mac. The book's layout is crisp and clear and the language is never too technical nor does it "dumb down" the material. Experienced Mac users will find many details that will enlighten them and yet novices will probably never feel overwhelmed by baffling technical language as the book helps them gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a proficient Mac user. The author, Wallace Wang, ironically comes from a career as a stand-up comedian, radio host, and Mac writer on the Internet. He believes that most people don't want to know how their computer works... They just want to know how to use it... and have fun doing so. The author focuses on what your Mac can do for you "as is". That is... right out of the box....without having to purchase anything extra (except perhaps a printer). Thus, there is no discussion of add-on programs such as iWork (Keynote, Pages, and Numbers). And while this is not a huge omission, those people who have purchased the Apple iWork suite of programs might be somewhat disappointed to find no mention of these. The Introduction to this book leads real novices through the very basic understanding of computer terms needed to get started using a Mac for the first time. Most people who are already familiar with the Mac will likely prefer to skip this portion of the book. Instead of chapter organization, the author has created "Projects" which lead the reader through a logical series of steps that start at the basics of turning on the computer and progresses through basic, intermediate and advanced techniques for using the Mac. The body of the book is grouped into Five parts: ⁃ Part 1: Basic Training ⁃ Part 2: Making Life Easier with Shortcuts ⁃ Part 3: Putting Your Macintosh to Work ⁃ Part 4: Touching the World Through the Internet ⁃ Part 5: Maintaining Your Macintosh Within each Part, a series of projects (a total of 54 in the book) are introduced and they do a comprehensive job of covering the main concepts and skills needed to take advantage of the power of the Mac. The author believes that most people learn better by working on projects with specific goals rather than simply reading through lengthy technical descriptions. There is an abundance of illustrations (black & white or gray scale --- no color illustrations) throughout the book. The illustrations and examples are all clear and concise, showing actual screen snapshots, making it easy for the reader to compare the information they see on their computer screen to that shown in the book. Part 1 - Basic Training - leads the user through turning the Mac on & off, using the mouse, Finder menus and Dock, manipulating windows and navigating through and manipulating folders in the Finder. It also covers how to make your Mac more energy efficient. All this sounds pretty basic, and it may be tempting to pass over without much attention to this part. But it is worthwhile to spend some time reading this section because the author presents details that even experienced users will profit from. (examples) Part 2 - Making Life Easier with Shortcuts - introduces Keyboard Shortcuts & Shortcut Menus, Drag & Drop features, Hot Corners, Searches &Side bars for finding things fast in OS X. Widgets and User Accounts as well as putting various forms of controls on some accounts (users) - especially helpful in managing computer use by young people. The Mac has always offered assistive features and the last part of this section covers the settings that will help visual and/or hearing impaired users as well as those with motor skills problems. Part 3 - Putting Your Mac to Work - covers the Notepad application, iCal, music & iTunes, movies & CDs and burning stuff to disks. The author leads the reader through a variety of methods of saving images on a Mac. From cameras, scanners, the Internet and from captured screen images. Organizing, editing and tagging photos is clearly outlined with plenty of examples and illustrations. Backing up files is mad easy with the Time Machine application and the book contains a concise description of how to set up and use this handy back up feature. And If you occasionally have to type words or phrases in a foreign language, then you will appreciate the section on typing foreign characters and accents. Part 4 - Touching the World Through the Internet - covers settings and connections needed to link to the world wide web (Internet). As well, the many features of Safari are covered in detail - especially the new Top Sites window and how to create web page clippings. Whether you enjoy listening or learning, you will appreciate the coverage of downloadable videos and podcasts and Internet radio. Of course, any discussion of using the Internet would be incomplete without delving into email. The author uses the Apple Mail program to develop techniques for creating, organizing, filtering and formatting email messages. There is also a brief discussion pertaining to using iChat for video chats over the Internet. I would have liked to see some discussion of the Skype program as an alternative to iChat, but that would have been outside the scope of the book. That is, to restrict content to that software which comes resident on the Mac at the time of purchase. Part 5 - Maintaining Your Mac - Man Mac users know very little about maintaining their computer. Perhaps that is not surprising considering that Macs have a proven track record of dependability. And there is truth to the understanding that if something isn't right with your Mac, simply turn it off and then on again and it will fix itself. But there are some things you can do that will minimize any problems that might occur. Knowing how to identify the important facts about your Mac such as the Operating System, processor and memory are an important first step. The reader is shown how to find out this information plus how to learn more about the other hardware inside the machine. Software updates, installing new software and uninstalling software are discussed. Password security, encrypting your data and creating a Firewall are important in ensuring that your private data stays private. The author does not go into extreme levels of technical jargon, but does illustrate how even the novice can achieve a satisfactory level of security by using the System Preference settings. The publishers have included a special project on the last page of this book. There you will find a paper model of an iMac which you can make. If you like origami, then you will enjoy this little project too. There were a couple of things about this book which I hope the author will deal with in the next edition. One was the lack of discussion of the Keychain, an important part of the Mac OS, and something which novices often have questions about. The other thing was the fact that individual System Preferences were explained at widely dispersed locations in the book. And the index did not list them under a single heading, making it a bit difficult to locate them all, especially if the user is unsure of their exact names. Reviewed by Tom C. November, 2009. |
 Reviewed by:Tom C.
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Learn Mac OS X Snow Leopard Thinking Person's Complete Guide to Mac OS X Publisher: Apress Published: 2009 ISBN-13 (pbk): 978-1-4302-1946-0 ISBN 13 (electronic): 978-1-4302-1947-7 Author: Scott Meyers & Mike Lee Format: Paperback, 713 pages Date of Review: Nov. 2009 The authors of this new release are a former Apple sales specialist and a computer programmer. Together they have produced a book which will guide the novice through the steps needed to become a proficient Mac user... plus they also offer a fair amount of in-depth technical knowledge needed by advanced users who want to get behind the screen and look at some of the programming and development issues that make the Mac such an elegant and powerful machine. The book is organized into 26 chapters and divided into 9 Parts: 1. Getting to know Snow Leopard 2. Customizing and Administering Leopard 3. Communications and the Internet 4. Working with Applications 5. Getting to Know Darwin 6. Snow Leopard Networking 7. Snow Leopard Development and Scripting 8. Cross-Platform Solutions 9. Appendixes If you are a novice Mac user, then you will probably want to read the first five chapters completely, as they do an excellent job of covering the basics of the operating system and tweaking it to meet your specific needs. Insights into settings in System Preferences are covered particularly well in Chapter 4. The power of the Safari web browser is explained in Chapter 10 and that section is loaded with information which will help the user to understand and take advantage of features to get the most out of the Web. Chapters pertaining to Darwin, Networking and Development are really intended to provide fodder for the programmers and developers who read this book and will generally be far more in-depth than novice users will need. That's not a criticism of the book, but more a nod to the fact that not everyone who purchases Mac books is a beginner. While there are ample illustrations throughout the book, often using actual screen shots of windows and panes as they appear on your Mac, it is clear from some of the tables the authors are servicing the "need to know" criteria of the more technical Mac users who delight in viewing lengthy scripts and directory paths to fully understand the workings of the system. Helpful tips and notes abound throughout the book and offer shortcuts or insights into the operation of the system. Most Mac users who purchase a book like this will be using it as a reference book after they get their basic needs covered, picking it up off the desk when new problems are encountered. To that end, books like this need a good index to assist the user in finding the information fast. The index in this book is excellent. It is extensive and complete. The Appendixes found at the end of the book include: A. What's New in Snow Leopard? B. Installing and Setting Up Snow Leopard C. Our Favorite Applications Unless you have purchased a new Mac within a month or two of this review, you are probably upgrading from an earlier OS X to Snow Leopard. Appendix B walks you through the process, with illustrations of all the screens you will encounter accompanied by good explanations that will make the installation a confusion-free process. Appendix C lists over 60 of the authors' favorite applications under the headings of: • Internet • Text • Web Development and Social Networking • Video and Multimedia • Graphics • Office • Development and Database • Personal/Utility Not only are the application names listed, but also the cost, download sites, and notes about each. Many of the applications are free or inexpensive and offer convenience in accomplishing specific tasks. Special deal for purchasers of this book allows download of electronic version for only $10. Why would you pay an additional $10 when you already own the paper version? Because an eBook is capable of being stored on your laptop or desktop and is fully searchable, making this substantial book easier to carry with you. Plus it allows you to copy and paste code from book to application when following instructions on examples given in the book. This can be a real time saver! MUGS members are reminded that Apress offers a substantial MUGS discount.
(See the Members Only page for details.) Reviewed by Tom C. November, 2009. |
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Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual The book that should have been in the box Published: 2008 Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc./Pogue Press ISBN: 978-0-596-51936-0 [5/08] Format: Paperback, 536 pages Author: Barbara Brundage Reviewer: Ed F.: This is a 536 page manual with full color illustrations. It cannot be read in one sitting because you wouldn’t be able to retain all the information it contains. This book contains extensive and in depth explanations for all the many tools and file menus contained in Elements 6. Photoshop Elements 6 is a complex program with many features that most people may never use. It also has features like Straighten, Crop and Enhance that are also found in iPhoto. Nevertheless, each feature, from the very simple to the more difficult, get a thorough explanation. The book takes each of the many tasks that Elements can perform and guides you step by step to the final result. Many of these instructions have, in addition to the “step by step”, notes and tips in using the various tools involved. For the more complex subjects, I use this book in the following manner: Scan through the book to find a technique you wish to use. If after careful reading, you find difficulty to apply what you have read, supplement the instructions in the book with a quick use of Google. The Photoshop world has a language all to itself. Like most trades and professions, they use their own technical terms. With this book, you now have the right word to apply to a Google search. This will turn up many tutorials posted by individuals on the Internet. With so many to choose from, one is bound to give you that “Eureka” moment! Editing digital images is a technique that is learned from many sources. This manual will get you started on the right track. After you view the resources on the Internet and reference back to the manual, your editing efforts will start to come together. Don’t be afraid to duplicate an image and jump in and practice, practice and practice some more. One word of caution that is found on page 43: BRIDGE is Elements’ photo filing and organizer. It will seek out stored images on your Mac. Never try to look into iPhoto with BRIDGE; it could corrupt you iPhoto library file! To edit a photograph in Elements, open iPhoto, select the thumbnail you wish to edit, right click to get a drop down menu in which you should select Edit in External Editor: your selected image will open in Elements. Do your editing, click Save and a dialog box will appear: click Yes; then quit the Application (Command/Apple +Q on the keyboard) and your edited photograph will return to iPhoto. Ed F. December 2009 Reviewer: Ted C.: Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual is part of the Missing Manual series created by David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist and bestselling author. There are (according to this volume) approximately four dozen Missing Manuals, many of them written or co-authored by David Pogue. They cover various software programs, operating systems, and other computer-related topics. Modestly, this book asserts that "Missing Manuals are witty, superbly written guides to computer products that don't come with printed manuals (which is just about all of them)." Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual was not, however, written by Pogue himself; and it might have been better (wittier, and more superbly written!) if it had. Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual is an attractive volume, accurately printed in full colour on high-quality paper stock, and well bound, and lavishly illustrated. It makes the competing (to some extent) For Dummies series look rather shabby and slight and coarse by comparison -- as well it might, given that the list price is about fifty percent higher. Reviewing this massive book was a daunting and humbling and onerous chore. Not task; chore! I thought, when I first volunteered, that I might be the ideal person to review a book about Photoshop Elements. After all, I have been using and enjoying Adobe's graphic software programs for many years, starting with PhotoDeluxe, then Photoshop LE (Limited Edition), and ultimately Photoshop Elements. Each of these software programs was an improvement on its predecessor. As well, I have on occasion tackled Photoshop itself. In every instance I needed no so-called "missing manual." The programs were straightforward and intuitive. One learned by doing and practising, while occasionally resorting to online Help and/or the Internet. I never noticed the alleged absence of a manual. My first approach to this MUGS book review assignment was to read the book laboriously in its entirety, hoping that this would spark some ideas as to how to structure and word my review. Boring, and endless! This was neither an enjoyable process nor particularly instructive, since I was swamped with blocks of text. It took forever to wade through the volume; and having done so, I had no clear ideas on how then to advise MUGS members, nor how to avoid making offensive remarks about this handsome book that its publisher had kindly provided. At this point, the best points about the book were that it has a substantial index; and it has an Appendix A that purportedly and apparently deals with every Elements pull-down menu item. This in itself clearly is a highly-useful feature; though whether it justifies the purchase price is debatable. My next approach, I am ashamed to say, having fallen so short of review ideas, was to cast about on the Internet for a review that I could plagiarize (confident in my ability to reword it so as to disguise the theft)! Both approaches were utterly unsuccessful, so I eventually knuckled down and tackled the review head-on. Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual claims to give crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations of every feature of Photoshop Elements. I do not dispute this characterization (I saw no jargon, though sometimes I had to reread for clarity); but my primary impression as I emerged eventually from the far end of the reading process was that Barbara Brundage has an overly verbose and chatty style, with frequent digressions and a blizzard of confusing and distracting cross-references -- and far too many adjectives and adverbs. In my opinion, the book is not as clearly written and well-organized as is the typical book in the Dummies series. Dummies books tend to have a style that is matter of fact, and closer to "point form," and I find this more useful; whereas Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac: The Missing Manual drones on and on. After trudging through the Missing Manual, I intend as an alternative to keep my eye open for a Dummies book about Photoshop Elements. Trying to be fair, I then sat back and thought that another reasonable approach to this review would be to tackle the book from the viewpoint of how well did it work as a reference volume when tackling specific problems. So I posed some major hypothetical imaging problems that I have personally encountered. How does the software deal with a scanner for direct image acquisition? How does the software index one's photos? How does the software enable one to deal with moiré in a scanned image? These are all practical real-world problems. In each case, the book came up skimpy or unhelpful. Moiré is not even mentioned in the index, an extraordinary omission! So I cannot recommend this book, even though it is clearly a considerable accomplishment. Simply put, I don't need it; I suspect there are better alternatives; and I much prefer floundering about on the Internet in order to try to find answers, rather than dealing with this ponderous and verbose tome. Bottom line: I learned nothing from this book, even though I tried very hard to like it. And I will be returning the review volume, rather than keeping it for my bookshelf as I am entitled to do. This tells you something. Reviewed by Ted C. June 2009. |
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How to be a Geek Goddess (Practical Advice for Using Computers with Smarts and Style) by Christina Tynan-Wook Trade paperback, 9 x 7 (23cm x 17cm) 315 pages + contents (brief & detailed), a note for men, intro and index $24.95 (U.S. & Canada) O'Reilly Press Reviewed by Lyse R. June 2009 What a great title! (from a woman’s perspective) As stated in the introduction, technology is there to serve you, so a woman should not be overwhelmed by it anymore than a man; it’s called “taking control”! It doesn’t mean that you can’t ask tech support for help but by reading this book you are empowered to troubleshoot first and maybe YOU will be able to fix it yourself! The book stresses a “can do” attitude. If men can do it, so can you! This book will familiarize you with the terminology which in turn will help you in accomplishing the tasks. The “How-tos” are PC oriented with a few tiny mentions once in a while of the “other” computer. I had no expectations regarding this book about PC vs Mac content so I was only slightly disappointed. The book takes you from buying a computer, finding a room for it in you home, setting it up, software choices, hardware choices, communication tools (e-mail, blogs, phone services), shopping on line, wi-fi, protection, geek parenting and even geek sex... The author at times uses feminine words like comparing software to shoes, purses and hats, guys-gals lingo as well as stereotypical roles but that doesn’t mean that men should not read this book. As the author’s husband writes in a foreword: the core idea of this book is that men and women are fundamentally different in how they think about and use technology. The author is the only woman to have written regular columns for both PC World and PC Magazine, which, if one wants to be stereotypical, is mostly read by men!!! The layout for me was confusing and all over the place. Different subjects are “boxed” on the pages throughout the book. For example: DEAR GEEK GODDESS box
TRY THIS box PHOTOS OF ITEMS box COMPUTER PAGES box OTHER SUBJECTS box Some of the boxes are so wordy that they interfere with the actual flow of the text: i.e. Page 117 starts 2/3 of the way down with 1 paragraph on SHOULD KIDS DRIVE? Pages 118 and 119 have a TRY THIS (box): find a long lost person, and then the 1st 3rd of page 120 has one more paragraph on the subject that was started on page 117. It’s like a magazine that has a plethora of ads! And there are many other examples. Some photos are only identified as “courtesy of ...” The reproduction of the COMPUTER pages are way too small to be useful; not being in color doesn’t help either. The colophon states that the font is Filosofia; I found it hard at times to decipher. Different typeface, font family as well as different sizes just added to the confusion. Geek in the context of this book refers more to a computer being an extension of oneself: every aspect of life revolves and is totally engulfed with the computer. Did I become a Geek Goddess? No, but I did learn some things. FYI: The author blogs at www.geekgirlfriends.com Reviewed by Lyse R. May 2009. |
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Take Your Best Shot by Tim Grey
O'Reilly Press
2008 228 pages
The subtitle of this excellent book is "Tim Grey Tackles Your Digital Darkroom Questions". This tells the reader that the book is not written for the casual point and shoot photographer. The majority of the questions and answers deal with SLR cameras, Photoshop (not the Elements version) and professional photo problems. Nevertheless, I, as a point and shoot user and somewhat knowledgeable with SLR film cameras and Photoshop Elements 6, did find many topics which answered my concerns and expanded my knowledge. Chapter 1-Digital Fundamental, Chapter 2-Digital Camera and Tools, Chapter 9-Printing do deal with questions that are important for the point and shoot photographer. (There are 10 chapters in total) Chapter 1 clearly discusses and explains Resolution, DPI & PPI, Imaging Sensors, Increasing sensitivity (i.e. ISO settings) & Image File Size. Chapter 2 covers the differences between point and shoot vs SLR cameras; lenses; memory cards; and megapixel myths. Chapter 9 provides excellent and valuable information concerning printer types, types of ink, printing resolution, and types of paper. The other chapters are more directly related to the SLR photographer since they deal with RAW images, white balance, accurate colour management and the use of Photoshop layers, levels, filters, sharpening and the many adjustments of levels, colours, hue/saturation, brushes, cropping, colour cast, noise ,etc. Learning about the many methods by which your photos can be improved may well inspire the reader to purchase a SLR camera and investigate and learn how to use Photoshop. Tim Grey effectively uses a question and answer writing style. His answers, comments and honest approach result in an interesting, at times amusing and alway a detailed, but clear book. This is a very good reference book for photographers. Reviewed by Izzy S. January 2008. |
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Revolution in the Valley
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